Zerest Audio Kagami Plus: Smooth, Pleasant but Rustic.

Oi! Mates, Welcome to my another review article on this month and what we have here is an introductory product from a new audio company from Singapore, Zerest Audio. This product model of theirs is called Kagami Plus.

Kagami Plus is a single dynamic driver set-up encapsulated in an ABS plastic shell to provide an enough protection and average durability. It’s house casing was coated with some metallic silver-coloured paint on its faceplate while the base part is just a plain, exposed blue plastic. To be honest, the overall design is just too plain in my liking as eye-pleasing aesthetic design are one of my criteria on purchasing an IEM but it depends on some people given that they might like its minimalist cues on it. Kagami Plus uses a MMCX connector for flexibility and  ease to do cable swapping within a seconds.

When it comes wearing aspect, it does fit enough though it doesn’t insert well into my lugholes due to its short nozzle as it is bit shallow that it has a poor isolation. The good thing of Kagami Plus is that it very comfortable that I can do a long listening session due to its lightweight.

The packaging of Kagami is more a bare bone one as it includes some basic accessories like the IEMs itself, a four(4) core cable in 3.5mm termination jack, some eartips of standard sizes and a small card contains of simple instruction manual and warranty. 

When it comes to drivable rating from audio player sources, its amplification is well noted that it can be easily powered from decent audio sources  like smartphones, tablets and other media player devices.

The tonality of Kagami Plus is more of a U-shaped sound signature as bass and treble has more emphasis over midrange. The tuning is more of a safer one that most of the  listeners will be enjoy a balanced tuning of this IEM.

LOWS/BASS:

Due to its U-shape tuning, the bass is most prominent to the overall sound. It has a sufficient punchiness but not that haptic and deep bass that a basshead wanted to have one on their preferred sound signature.

Sub bass is more prominent than the mid bass as it has a substantial rumble to perceive but it doesn’t mean that it overwhelms the mid bass. Mid bass has an enough texture to give an ample body to bass kicks and bass guitar but it is still bit lacking when it comes being a concrete sounding on my preference to bassy IEMs.

There is also some hint of bass bleeding that will affect the quality of midrange and treble as it smears slightly on vocals and instruments.

MIDS:

The mids are a bit recessed in the overall sound as vocals are less engaging and tad emotive in my liking due its more leaning towards being warm sounding that I find it lacking especially in females vocals while the instruments sounds very pleasant and natural that I find them engaging enough.

It has a good presentation on male vocals due to its warmth that it adds up some texture to sound more bodied. Female vocals are a bit lethargic and lean due to its less energetic and subdued extension to give a confined, less opened sounding.

As for instruments, it has a substantial texture on some percussive and wind instruments to sound more natural but on strings like acoustic guitars and violins aren’t that engaging and less detailed due to lack of crisp and definition due to its warmth nature.

HIGHS/TREBLE:

Despite of the emphasis on treble, it doesn't have that harshness nor strident that most treble-elevated/bright IEMs prone on that issue. It has smooth delivery across the treble region that some listener will perceived it as a dark sounding due to its inherent warm tuning.

Sibilance and raspiness certainly absent due to a less peaky on upper mids but there is a caveat in all of these smoothness which is some comprises on clarity and resolution.

Treble extension is a bit lacking due to to limitation of its driver as I really want a more sparkling and airiness from the clattering sound of  cymbals.

But overall, it has a silky and safe tuning that prolong listening experience will be more pleasant and comfortable to a listener.

SOUNDSTAGE, IMAGING AND OTHER TECHNICALITIES:

I'll be straight on this one as technical aspects are one of the criteria that I'm looking for an IEM. This is not a technical IEM as I can pointing out its flaws immediately.

Soundstage is more of an average on its width, insufficiency on its depth and more emphasis on height which I find it not proportional on its perceive sound field. Imaging is bland as it doesnt really defined the placement of instruments and vocals and they are fuzzy and congested. Its more aif a typical two-dimensional stereo presentation. Separation is quite average at it has only a minimal gap on its spacing of each instruments.

Only coherency is somehow a redeeming factor of this IEM since it's a single DD and it gives a cohesive and nimble perfomance to give a more solid, dynamic sound.

PEER COMPARISONS:

HZ Mirror:

• HZ Mirror is cheaper and delivers a better tonality over Kagami.

• HZ Mirror's shell is a metal alloy while Kagami is made of ABS plastic  in durability will be a bit problematic in a long run given that ABS plastics doesn't work well in a tropical climate.

• Technicalities on both IEMs are comparable as they have similarities from soundstage to coherency but I still choose HZ Mirror by a hair.

ND NSK:

• ND NSK is way cheaper than Kagami but once again it has a bit better on tonality and even technicalities.

• ND NSK has better stock cable (still one of the best cable in under US$20/£14 range)

• ND NSK has an overall better technicalities like a wider soundstage, better depth and equally good  height reach on its sound field. Separation and Imaging is even better on ND NSK.

• ND NSK has a QDC-type 2 pin connector while Kagami has MMCX connector, I slightly prefer the later as I have bad experience with QDC connectors.

As I end my review here, Zerest Audio is still on a learning curve on how to deliver a better product on their next releases. For sure that their first product is commendable  and quite impress on their effort on how they market their product but given to the ever-changing and competetive portable audio market, it's a bit of a challenge on their part that they must release a more solid and refined product in the future. I'm looking toward on it, Zerest Audio.

Despite of the inherent weakness of Kagami which are its technicalities aspect, choice of materials on its shells and price point, There is a silver lining to it and it is to deliver a fun, engaging and smooth sounding IEM that will be very versatile to all genres and gives you a satisfying listening experience.

Zerest Audio Kagami Plus is currently price at US$65.00/£51.

SPECIFICATION:

MODEL: ZEREST AUDIO KAGAMI PLUS

IMPEDANCE: 16Ω

SENSITIVITY: 98dB

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:  20Hz - 20KHz

CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M

PIN TYPE: MMCX CONNECTOR

PLUG TYPE: 3.5mm

DRIVER UNITS: (1) DYNAMIC DRIVER 

 

PROS:

·         Good quality and improved stock cable.

·        A sturdy and robust composite shells.

·        Non-fatiguing treble registry.

·        A slightly improvement over KZ ZEX.

·        Comfortable fitting.

 

CONS:

 ·        QDC-type 2 pin connector (as usual for KZ products).

·        Overall technicalities needs more polish and improvement.

·         Recessed and underwhelming quality on female vocals.

 

Some Tracks Tested: ( * = 16-bit FLAC, ** = 24-bit FLAC, *'* = MQA, '*' = DSD, *'= .WAV)

 

Alison Krauss -When You Say Nothing At All *

Jade Wiedlin - Blue Kiss**

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks **

Mountain - Mississippi Queen *

Queen - Killer Queen **

Guns N' Roses - Patience *'*

Eric Clapton - Tears in Heaven '*'

Sergio Mendes- Never Gonna Let You Go '*'

Pearl Jam - Daughter **

Roselia - Hidamari Rhodonite *

Assassin - Fight (To Stop The Tyranny)*

Celtic Frost- Visual Aggression *

New Order - Blue Monday *

The Corrs- What Can I do (unplugged version) *

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child *

The Madness- Buggy Trousers *

Metallica - Motorbreath **

Mariah Carey- Always Be My Baby *

Destiny's Child - Say My Name *

Malice Mizer- Au Revoir *

Mozart - Lacrimosa *

New York Philharmonic Orchestra - Dvorak- Symphony 9 " From the New World." *

Eva Cassidy - Fields of Gold (Sting cover)*

Michael Jackson - Give In To Me *

Exciter - Violence and Force *

Diana Krall - Stop This World **

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat *'*

Lucretia my Reflection – The Sisters of Mercy **

Suzanne Vega – Luka **

 

P.S.

I am not affiliated to Zerest Audio nor receive monetary incentives and financial gains as they provide me a review unit for an exchange of factual and sincere feedback from yours truly.

 

 Once again, I would like to thank Jeremy Lin for providing this review unit, I truly appreciate on his generosity towards me and other reviewers.